Chief People Officer

The opportunity

This is a unique opportunity to join us as Chief People Officer at a defining moment in our evolution. We are a global creative community of staff, students and alumni whose work shapes culture, industry and society, and our people are at the heart of that mission.

As a member of the Executive Board, you will work closely with the Vice-Chancellor to provide strategic leadership for People and Culture, Health and Safety and organisational development across the University. You will play a central role in strengthening leadership capability, wellbeing and inclusive practice while ensuring high quality services that support an outstanding student experience.

You will lead our approach to equality, diversity and inclusion, anti racism and employee relations, embedding people centred leadership across our Colleges and professional services. Working collaboratively with senior leaders, you will help shape a culture that is inclusive, creative and ambitious, aligned with our Strategy 2032 priorities.

This role offers the chance to influence how we support, develops and empowers its staff, ensuring that our people are equipped to deliver excellence in education, research and creative practice in a complex and changing environment.

Your profile

You will be an experienced senior People leader with a strong track record of operating at executive level, ideally within Higher Education or a similarly complex organisation. You will bring strategic insight, operational credibility and a deep commitment to inclusive leadership and organisational wellbeing.

You will be skilled at leading large multidisciplinary teams across HR, organisational development and health and safety, and confident navigating sensitive employee relations issues with integrity and empathy. You will be able to balance long term strategic planning with practical delivery.

You will be an excellent communicator who can influence at all levels, build strong partnerships and inspire trust across diverse communities. You will be a visible champion of equality, diversity and inclusion and motivated by creating a culture where everyone can be themselves and reach their full potential.

We are UAL

University of the Arts London (UAL) generates and inspires the creativity the world needs for a better future. Since 1842, our colleges have been defining creative education. With curiosity, imagination and intent we make work which creates lasting change for people and our planet. London is core to who we are, a place where we meet and share ideas with people from different backgrounds and cultures.

Our creative network influences learning, culture, industry and society on a global scale. Our academics and practitioners deliver creative education and inspire new ways of thinking through research and innovation. We work with students at every level from pre-degree and short courses to postgraduate and online learning, enabling them to build the careers they want. Together, we are a community of makers, thinkers, pioneers and storytellers redesigning the future.

As a University, we are ranked second in the world for Art and Design. We are formed of 6 Colleges with unique histories and identities: Camberwell College of Arts, Central Saint Martins, Chelsea College of Arts, London College of Communication, London College of Fashion and Wimbledon College of Arts. UAL also has 4 Institutes, 5 Research Centres, 1 Pre-Degree School and 2 subsidiary companies delivering specialist activities.

We are a global University, welcoming over 22,000 students and 6,000 staff from 130 countries. We aim to be a university where people can be themselves and feel supported to reach their full potential. That’s why we are proud to hold a Bronze Award from the Race Equality Charter (REC), are members of the Business Disability Forum and Employers for Carers, and maintain our status as a Disability Confident Scheme and Living Wage employer.

Application process

We operate a fair and open anonymous selection process. Thus, you will need to create an account and submit an application through our job board. As part of this, you will need to provide a supporting statement/answer some competency questions to demonstrate your suitability. Our recruitment process involves: Application, Shortlisting, Interview and Assessment, Offer, Onboarding.

We understand the benefits of using AI in work. But, if you are thinking of using it to submit an application, we ask you to think about what value it adds. AI tools tend to lack the personal touch and authenticity we value in candidates. We encourage you to showcase your unique knowledge and skills using your own voice.

If we receive a high volume of applications, the closing day date might close early. We aim to communicate any changes to the closing date with at least 24 hours’ notice. If you have any general questions or have accessibility needs, please refer to our Contact us page.

Start your application

Candidates are advised to submit applications early.